MetaEfficient Reviews » Rain Water Harvesting

Green Roofs – Efficient Design Starts At The Top

benjamin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:42:50 +0000

Green roofs have seen a surge in popularity recently as sustainable building designs become more mainstream. Soil and plantings on a building’s rooftop can help manage water runoff, improve air quality, and reduce energy use by moderating indoor temperatures. They can also prolong the life of a building’s roof by protecting it from the wear and tear of wind, water, and UV rays. (more…)

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The Rainwater Pillow – Rain Barrel Meets Cistern

benjamin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:30:18 +0000

The Rainwater Pillow (photo: Rainwater Collection Systems, Inc.)

Utilizing rainwater runoff is a double bonus for homeowners, both in environmental and financial terms. It reduces the amount of water consumed from the municipal system, and it lessens the strain on wastewater treatment facilities that must process water after it flows down the drain. A rain barrel is great for small-scale applications like a flower garden, and now there is an option for large-scale rainwater collection without the need for a traditional cistern: the Rainwater Pillow.
(more…)

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Update: Bank Of America Tower, Greenest Skyscraper In The U.S.

benjamin — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:50:02 +0000

Bank of America Tower, Greenest Skyscraper In The U.S. (photo: BoA)

A while back, MetaEfficient profiled what could be the greenest skyscraper in America, the Bank of America Tower in New York City. Located in midtown Manhattan at One Bryant Park, the 945-foot tall, 55-story structure is scheduled to open later this year. Here’s a closer look at some of the groundbreaking features that should help the building earn a coveted LEED Platinum designation.
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High School Captures 280,000 Gallons Of Water Per Year

Justin — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:41:51 +0000

Our buildings and homes could capture all water we need on a daily basis. A great example of rainwater harvesting can be found at the Langston Brown Community Center and High School in Arlington, Virginia. The community center has two 24-foot-tall 11,000-gallon cisterns that store rainwater. (more…)

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A Clever Rainwater Diverter

Justin — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 18:35:18 +0000

The average roof sheds 160 gallons of rainwater per hour during a moderate rain fall. Rainwater is better for your garden than tap water: it is at ambient temperature rather than being cold, and it is not chlorinated or treated with chemicals.

The Garden Water Saver, is a device that attaches to your home’s downspout, and allows you to use any container as a rainwater barrel. It diverts rainwater until the container becomes full, and then it automatically shuts off. It will fill a 55 gallon rain barrel in 2 to 3 hours during a moderate rainfall. The kit is available for $19.95 from Garden Water Saver.

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Modern Rainwater Tank: The LUMI

Justin — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 20:15:54 +0000

Unfortunately, most rainwater tanks and cisterns are unsightly blocks of concrete or plastic. The LUMI Rainwater Tank, however, was designed by Katrina Logan to be visually appealing. It’s made of sculptural satin acrylic and can be made in a range of colors and sizes (250 liters – 1100 liters). The tank glows in the sunlight, making the rainwater reserves visible, and has internal lights that illuminate the tank in the evening.

Often, architects try to conceal and disguise water tanks on the side of the house or with various landscaping techniques, but Logan’s design eliminates the ugliness of common storage tanks. In the LUMI, she’s successfully targeting the inner city design community. And early in October 2006, she received The City of Melbourne Sustainability Design Award.

Via: Jetson Green

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Heated Pools and Rain Water

Justin — Wed, 02 Nov 2005 08:25:51 +0000

We recommend rain water as one of the purest waters for baths and pools. Even in cities, rain can be purified easily. Most pollution falls in the first three minutes and the rest of the water can simply be filtered to a level where it will rival the purity of spring water or bottled water.

See more information about heating water efficiently and here’s how to catch the rain.

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Octagonal Rain Barrels

Justin — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 20:02:32 +0000

Arid Solutions makes these unique and practical rain barrels. Their octagonal shape increases the durability of the barrel.

Each barrel has two overflow outlets, allowing you to connect multiple tanks together. The system show here is actually two 54 gallon barrels: one is stacked on top of the other for a total of 108 gallons.

The barrels are pet and child safe. The price for one barrel is $129 and an additional barrel is $120. Shipping is $10, which is quite good considering I’ve seen some shipping prices for rain barrels as much as $50.

Arid Solutions’ Rain Barrels

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Recycled Rain Barrels

Justin — Thu, 10 Feb 2005 21:16:24 +0000

Aaron makes rain barrels out of recycled plastic, and runs an informative web site about rain water harvesting.

The 58 gallon rain barrels are made out of thick food-grade plastic, and can withstand both hot and cold temperatures. The barrels connect directly to the downspout of your rain gutter.

They are also paintable (with Krylon Fusion) for those who want to match the harvesting tank to the color of their homes.

They are available for $125 which includes shipping.

Visit these site for more information:
http://www.ne-design.net and
http://www.rain-barrel.net

High School Captures 280,000 Gallons Of Water Per Year Our buildings and homes could capture all water we...
The Rainwater Pillow – Rain Barrel Meets Cistern Utilizing rainwater runoff is a double bonus for homeowners, both...

Rain Water Harvesting Links

Justin — Fri, 30 Jul 2004 01:19:09 +0000

HarvestH20: This site has very comprehensive set of Rain Water Harvesting Links
"Harvest the Rain": Article on rain water harvesting with lots of information.
Rainbarrel Tutorial: From the
Maryland Environmental Design Program.
Another Rainbarrel Tutorial: How to
build a simple rainbarrel.
The Garden Water Saver: Different Types of Rain Barrels and Water Systems for the Garden.
Composters.Com: Many kind of rain barrels for sale.
Rain Water Solutions: Sells
rain barrels built from recycled plastic.

High School Captures 280,000 Gallons Of Water Per Year Our buildings and homes could capture all water we...
The Rainwater Pillow – Rain Barrel Meets Cistern Utilizing rainwater runoff is a double bonus for homeowners, both...